1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technology for communicating model information between devices.
2. Related Art
Devices such as printers, scanners, and multifunction devices, commonly known as peripheral devices, are generally used connected to a computer or other control device, commonly called a host device. The host device controls the peripheral devices according to the types of peripheral devices that are connected to the host. As a result, the host device must get the model information (identification information) assigned to each peripheral device before the peripheral devices can be controlled. Note that the model identifier (model ID) as used herein is information identifying the type and model of each device.
Technology enabling the host device to acquire the identification information assigned to the peripheral devices is taught in Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2004-185635, for example. This technology is described below. First, an information processing device communicates to acquire the identifier of a network-connected peripheral device. The peripheral device then responds to this communication using an ID number, device type, or other information.
However, the length of the model ID assigned to each peripheral device is generally fixed, and the practical utility of the model ID is therefore limited. For example, if the model ID is 7 bits long, the range of numbers that can be used as a model ID is 0 to 127. While this enables assigning a new model ID to 128 models, a new model ID cannot be assigned if there are 129 models or more. The host device and peripheral devices also communicate the model ID using a specified format. If a model ID is assigned to a new model using a new format with a longer model ID, the format of the model ID will differ between new models and old models. Such different formats can lead to model ID recognition errors by the host device. In addition, in order to accommodate different formats, the configuration of the devices with different formats must generally be changed, thus increasing the burden on the product designer and administrator.